I was diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 56 with DCIS in my right breast. I was advised to have a lumpectomy followed by radiation - standard procedure then. I requested a wide excision for the lumpectomy with no radiation followup. I had done a bunch of research into various studies that showed while recurrence was reduced with radiation, the difference in lifelong mortality rate was insignificant. I didn't like what I was reading about long-term effects of radiation. Having surgery with a wide excision area (well beyond margins) was expected to reduce the chance of recurrence. Nine years later, I was diagnosed with DCIS in a different part of the same breast. Because of the time lapse and placement of the new occurrence it was not determined to be a recurrence. I opted for the same procedure as before - wide excision lumpectomy, no radiation. Four years later the DCIS was back in the same breast and also in the left breast, with a bit of stage one (invasive) in the right as well. Chemo for 6 months and 5-10 years of estrogen therapy was recommended (the standard) - whether I chose lumpectomies or a bilateral mastectomy. I opted for a mastectomy (I was 69 by then) without further treatment. My breast cancer intake doctor thought a mastectomy was a drastic solution to a low level cancer, but I thought the treatments felt more drastic. My team of 5 oncologists agreed that if I had a bilateral mastectomy without the followup treatments, my chance for recurrence was not significantly greater than with the treatments, though a recurrence would likely mean a metastasis to other organs, and thus life-threatening. Once again I opted for what I considered to be quality of life. I chose a bilateral mastectomy instead of possible problems down the road from the harsh chemicals. I also chose not to go through the turmoil of reconstructive surgery. So I'm back to the flat chest of my youth with some scarring. It's been six years since my mastectomy. So far so good, though I'm not saying my decision was right for everyone. Every woman has to make her own decisions about her life and health. It's scary and it's tricky. Fear and pressure can be a lot to handle. Life is a risk!